Sewing machine for making french seams



March 6, 1934. c. sEAMAN SEWING MACHINE FOR MAKING FRENCH SEAMS Filed`May 2, 1933 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 6, 1934 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE SEWING MACHINE FOR MAKING FRENCH SEAMS 12 Claims.

This invention relates to rolled seams of the type commonly calledFrench seams, and to a method and means for forming the same. Moreparticularly, the invention provides for joining two pieces of materialby a tailored French seam which is folded to conceal the raw edges, thetwo pieces of material extending on opposite sides of the seam andhaving a single row of stitches extending entirely through the seam andthrough the exposed faces of the material.

An object of the invention is to form a seam of the above type.

Another object is to provide a sewing machine for folding and stitchinga seam of the above type.

Still another object is to provide an attachment for folding the seamand for feeding the same to the needle of a standard make of sewingmachine.

A further object is to provide a simple, convenient and dependabledevice of the type above indicated.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic ofthis invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appendedhereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages and themode of its operation, will be better understood by referring to thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingforming a part thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a portion of a sewing machine, fromwhich the material has been omitted for clearness, showing the folderapplied thereto.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the portion of the machine illustratedin Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the folder.

Figures 5 to 8 are enlarged sections taken on the lines 5 5, 6 6, 7 7and 8 8, respectively, of Figure 3 showing the folder and the positionof the material therein.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the material removed from the folder,showing the method of forming the seam and applying the same to theneedle.

Figure 10 is an enlarged section on the line 10-10 of Figure 9 with thematerial in position for stitching.

Figure 11 is a section similar to Figure 10 showing a modified form ofseam.

Figure 12 is a bottom perspective view of the presser foot.

In the various figures of the drawing, like parts have been designatedby like reference numerals.

Referring to the drawing more in detail, the invention is shown asapplied to a standard make of sewing machine having a base 10, carryinga cover plate 11, which is provided with a slot 12, through which atoothed feed member 13, of well-known form, is adapted to operate. Themachine is also provided with a reciprocating rod 14, carrying a needle15, and with a presser foot rod 16, carrying a .presser foot 17, whichextends under said needle and is provided with an aperture 18 throughwhich the needle operates. The presser foot is Aadapted to hold thematerial in engagement with the toothed feed member 13, whereby thematerial is fed past the needle in position to receive the stitch in amanner well known in the art. A portion of the front 47 of the presserfoot 17 is depressed as at 48 to form a positioning flange 49 which maybe slightly rounded at the front as at to receive and position the seamfor stitching as will be described. A groove 51 extends from theaperture 18 in the direction of feed to provide clearance for thestitch.

For forming the rolled seam in accordance with the present invention,there is provided a folder 19, having a guide plate 20, to which issecured a positioning plate 21 extending outwardly therefrom to form anear 22, having an elongated slot 23, through which a screw 24 extendsfor securing the guide plate 20 to the base 10 of the machine. Thepositioning plate 21 carries a depending lug 25 adapted to seat in acorresponding hole 26 in the cover plate 11 to assist in maintaining thefolder 19 in position. The positioning plate 21 may be secured to theguide plate 20 in any convenient way, as by solder, or may be formedintegrally therewith. rlhe guide plate `20 is preferably mounted in aninclined position so as to more readily direct the material toward thepath of the needle.

A pair of parallel spaced plates 27 is mounted on a bracket 28 which issecured to the guide plate 20, as by solder. The plates 27 extend fromtheir point of support downwardly on opposite sides of the bracket 28.They also extend laterally therefrom and are tapered in the direction offeed, having their free ends 29 substantially adjacent the end of thepresser foot 17. The plates 27 are spaced from the guide plate 20 andare twisted about a longitudinal axis approximately three-quarters of arevolution for the purpose to be described. The plates 27 are adapted toreceive contiguous edges of the two pieces of material which are passedupwardly between said plates on opposite sides of the bracket 28 and toresiliently grip the material as it passes between said plates in thedirection of feed. At their free ends 29 they are substantiallyhorizontal so that the seam is caused to lie flat for stitching.

For directing the material upwardly between the plates 27, there may beprovided a guide member 30 extending along the guide plate 20 from thebracket 28 in the direction of feed. The member 30 is preferablyinverted V-shape in section, projecting upwardly between the plates 27and tapering toward the free ends 29 thereof. The member 30 may beformed as part of the plate 20, if desired.

The folder 19 may be adjusted by means ofy the screw 24 and the slot 23,so as to properly position the same with respect to the needle. Theelongated slot 23 permits the folder to pivot about the lug 25 for thispurpose.

In the operation of the above-described device, two pieces of material35 and 36 to be joined are fed to the guide plate 20 of the folder onopposite sides of the bracket 28 and are caused, by the V-shaped guidemember 30, to bend upwardly between the plates 27 to form upstandingfolds 37 and 38, respectively, as illustrated in Figure 5. As the piecesof material 35 and 36 are fed through the folder toward the needle, thefolds 37 and 38 are first bent over, as illustrated in Figure 7, and arethen inturned and rolled, as illustrated in Figure 8, the fold 37 beingdoubled over to form a two-ply fold around which the fold 38 extendswith the free edges 39 and 40 facing in the same direction and concealedby the rolls 41 and 42. The folds 37 and 38 are thus interlocked and,with the body of the pieces 35 and 36, form a five-ply seam.

The formation of the above seam is also illustrated in Figure 9. inwhich it will be noted that the folds 37 and 38 are first caused toextend upwardly at right angles to the material and are then rolled overthrough approximately three-quarters of a revolution, in which conditionthe seam is discharged from the folder 19. The roll 4l engages thepositioning flange 49 of the presser foot which directs the seam underthe needle 15 in a position to receive a stitch 43 adjacent the roll 41and spaced from the free edges 39 and 40. The needle 15 then pierces theseam to form a stitch extending through the five plies of the seam andthrough the exposed faces of the material (Figures 9 and 10). The stitch43 extends through the double fold at a point spaced from the free edges39 and 40, so as to considerably increase the strength of the seam, andis located near the roll 41 so as to prevent the seam from deforming,due to the lateral pull of the two pieces of material.

It will be noted that the stitching secures both pieces of material andalso secures the concealed inturned folds. The above device accordinglyprovides for forming, in a single operation, a tailored seam withinwhich all raw edges of the two pieces of material are concealed, andwhich is secured by a single row of stitches; extending entirely throughthe seam. The seam presents a particularly smooth appearance when viewedfrom either side and is in condition for use without further stitching.

It is obvious that the extent of the rolled fold may be varied bychanging the dimensions of the folder 19 and that vthe amount of roll isdetermined by the twist to which the folds are subjected within thefolder. The fold may, for example, be modified, as shown in Figure 11,by reducing the size of the fold 37 so that it involves only a singlethickness. The two folds 37 and 38 then interlock, with the edgesconcealed, and may be stitched in the same manner as the seam abovedescribed. This type of seam may be desirable with certain kinds ofmaterial in which a double fold is not required to hold the stitches.

Various other changes will be apparent to a person skilled in the art. Agreater or smaller number of plies may be formed in the seam by varyingthe amount of the longitudinal twist of the plates 27 and by varying theamount of material in the folds 37 and 38. By twisting the plates 27 anadditional half revolution, for example, one or more additional pliesmay be folded into the seam. This may be desirable in certain instancesdepending upon the kind of material and the use to which it is to beapplied. The folder 19 may be made as a part of the sewing machine, ormay be made as an attachment for any standard make of sewing machine, topermit the above seam to be formed thereon.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed for purposes ofillustration, the invention is not to be limited thereto, but only inaccordance with the following claims when interpreted in view of theprior art.

I claim:

1. A sewing machine attachment comprising a folder having a guide plate,a pair of spaced plates mounted thereon and extending transverselythereof, and a tapered member of V-shaped section mounted on said guideplate between said spaced plates to direct adjacent edges of twoY piecesof material between said spaced plates, said spaced plates being twistedabout a longitudinal axis so as to infold said edges into a rolled seamin which the edges are entirely concealed.

2. A sewing machine attachment comprising a folder having a horizontalguide plate, a vertical bracket mounted thereon, a pair of parallelspaced plates mounted on said bracket, said plates extending downwardlyon opposite sides of said bracket from their point of support to receivecontiguous edges of two pieces of material which are passed upwardlybetween said plates from opposite sides of said bracket, said platesextending from said bracket in the direction of feed to resiliently gripsaid material as it passes therebetween, said plates being taperedtoward their free ends and twisted about a longitudinal axis to infoldthe edges of the material into a rolled seam in which the edges areconcealed.

3. A sewing machine attachment comprising a folder having a horizontalguide plate, a vertical bracket mounted thereon, a pair of parallelspaced plates mounted on said bracket, said plates extending downwardlyon opposite sides of said bracket from their point of support to receivecontiguous edges of two pieces of material which are passed upwardlybetween said plates from opposite sides of said bracket, said platesbeing tapered toward their free ends and twisted about a longitudinalaxis to infold the edges of the material into a rolled seam in which theedges are concealed.

4. A sewing machine attachment comprising a folder having a horizontalguide plate, a vertical bracket mounted thereon, a pair of parallelspaced plates mounted on said bracket, said plates extending downwardlyon opposite sides of said bracket from their point of support to receivecontiguous edges of two pieces of material which are passed upwardlybetween said plates from opposite sides of said bracket, said platesbeing twisted about a longitudinal axis to infold the edges of thematerial into a rolled seam in which the edges are concealed.

5. A sewing machine attachment comprising a folder having a base, abracket extending from said base, a pair of spaced plates extending inan upward direction from said base for receiving and folding adjacentedges of two pieces of material which are fed thereto from oppositesides, the upper parts of said plates being attached to said bracket andthe lower parts thereof being free to receive said pieces of material.

6. A sewing machine attachment comprising a folder having a base and apair of spaced plates open along one edge to receive adjacent edges oftwo pieces of material fed thereto from opposite sides, said platesextending substantially vertically at the forward part of said folderand being tapered and twisted about a longitudinal axis and extendingsubstantially horizontally at the real of said folder to form a rolledseam having interlocked folds at least one of which is doubled.

'7. In a sewing machine, a reciprocating needle, means to feed materialpast the path of said needle, and a folder to receive adjacent edges oftwo pieces of material from opposite sides, said folder comprising apair of spaced plates extending in substantially the plane ofreciprocation of said needle at the forward end of said folder and beingtwisted about a longitudinal axis so as to infold said edges to form arolled seam comprising interlocked folds at least one of which isdoubled.

8. In a sewing machine, a reciprocating needle, means to feed materialpast the path of said needle, and a folder to receive adjacent edges oftwo pieces of material from opposite sides, said folder comprising apair of spaced plates extending in substantially the plane ofreciprocation of said needle at the forward end of saidfolder and beingtapered and twisted about va longitudinal axis so as to infold saidedges to form a rolled seam having at least five plies.

9. In a sewing machine, a reciprocating needle, means to feed materialpast the path of said needle, and a folder to receive adjacent edges oftwo pieces of material from opposite sides, said folder comprising apair of spaced plates extending in substantially the plane ofreciprocation of said needle at the forward end of said folder and beingtwisted about a longitudinal axis and extending in a plane transverse tosaid first plane at the discharge end of said folder so as to infoldsaid edges to form a rolled seam comprising interlocked folds at leastone of which is doubled.

10. In a sewing machine, a reciprocating needle, means to feed materialpast the path of said needle, and a folder to receive adjacent edges oftwo pieces of material from opposite sides, said folder comprising apair of spaced plates extending in substantially the plane ofreciprocation of said needle at the forward end of said folder and beingtwisted approximately three-quarters of a revolution about alongitudinal axis and terminating in a plane normal to said first planeso as to infold said edges to form a rolled five-ply seam.

11. In a sewing machine, a reciprocating needle, a presser foot, meansto feed material past the path of said needle, and a folder to receiveadjacent edges of two pieces of material from opposite sides, saidfolder comprising a pair or spaced plates extending in substantially theplane of reciprocation of said needle at the forward end of said folderand being twisted about a longitudinal axis and extending in a planetransverse to said first plane at the discharge end of said folder, andterminating adjacent said presser foot, said presser foot having apositioning flange to direct the rolled seam in the path of the needlein position to receive a stitch extending through the seam adjacent oneof the rolled edges of the seam.

12. A sewing machine attachment comprising a folder having a base and apair of spaced plates open along one edge to receive adjacent edges of

